Snow in a Spring's Day
by the.star.that.never.twinkles
Summary: A girl made his world upside down. A rival for the girl he love made him want to confess his feelings to her. A friend of his supported him to her in his own annoying ways. A man that she loves made him hesitate & move forward to her at the same time. A past girlfriend made his life even more complicated. Niou never thought this will come to his life. NiouXOC... First Fanfic... R
1. The Train Ride

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 1: The Train Ride**

Niou woke up late, again. That's why he came to morning practice late. As a result, their _loving _Sanada-fukubuchou _asked_ (or should I say, commanded) him to run 50 laps, which he had no choice but oblige.

The sun was surprisingly striking today. Well, it was summer but... today was unusually hot.

After the laps, he played a match with Kirihara. He won 7 – 6 because Kirihara passed out. "Ah, what a hot day," Niou remarked as he wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm.

"That explains why the brat passed out," Marui said as he pointed Kirihara.

"Come to think of it," Jackal said, "you're right, Niou."

Niou said nonchalantly and got his water bottle, "Yeah yeah."

"It's natural because it's summertime," Renji said, holding a notebook in one hand.

"BUT IT ISN'T NATURAL TO BE THIS HOT!" Marui yelled at Renji... in the face. Not that he minded it, though.

"My, my, I guess the heat's getting into you." Yukimura said.

"OF COURSE!" Marui fumed and grabbed a water bottle, opened the lid, and pour the water on his head. "So hot," he whined.

"Okay, that's the end of morning practice. Everyone is dismissed!" Yukimura commanded.

The regulars rushed to the bathrooms to take a bath. They deserve it after all. And then, they changed into their school uniforms and went to their respective classes.

As soon as classes ended, Niou went straight to their club room for he didn't want to be late and run laps again. Wondering why he didn't get a detention today? Ask him.

He reached the locker rooms and opened the door, just to see his other team mates.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hello Niou-kun," Yukimura smiled. "No detention today?"

"Nope. I was –"

"'A good boy today' is what you're about to say, right?" Renji, who just appeared out of nowhere, interrupted.

Niou shivered. "Seriously Yanagi, you're creeping me out."

"Niou, a good boy? Is it the end of the world already?" Marui laughed.

Niou blushed. "Che."

Yukimura nodded with a smile. "That's good. Keep that up though."

Niou then put down his bag. He was about to change his clothes when his phone rang. He flipped his phone to see the name of the caller.

"_Oh great," he thought. "Why now?"_

His hands shook a bit as he lifted the phone near his ears and answered hesitantly.

"Mom?" he said with the 'why-the-hell-did-you-call-me-now' voice.

"_Oh, Masaharu, can I speak with your captain please?"_

Niou sighed. He handed his cellphone to Yukimura and said, "My mom wants to talk to you."

"Me?" Yukimura asked and pointed himself. Niou nodded at this. Yukimura's lips formed a 'o'. He then spoke, "What is it that you want, Niou-san?"

"_Ah, Seiichi-kun, I need Masaharu to do an errand for me. So if you may excuse him..." she pleaded._

Yukimura smiled. As if Niou's mom would see it. "Sure, Niou-san. It's fine."

"_Is that so? You have my greatest thanks," Niou-san said with a happy voice._

"It's nothing," he replied. Yukimura then handed the cellphone to Niou and told him, "You are excused for now. Go and do the errand your mom wishes you to do."

"WHAT!" Niou exclaimed. "Why Yukimura? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?"

He almost kissed Yukimura's shoes. Literally.

Yukimura bent over the begging Niou, ruffled his hair and smiled. "Now, now, Haru. Be a good boy and do what your mom asks you."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Go now, Niou Masaharu," Yukimura said with his voice of doom. Niou shivered and picked up his phone and went out of the locker room really fast.

Kirihara happened to pass by this and asked, "Why is Niou-senpai in a hurry?"

Yanagi chuckled and answered, "His mom had made him do an errand."

Kirihara mumbled, "Oh."

Sanada stood up and commanded, "Everyone, run 10 laps now!" And then he drifted his eyes into Kirihara. "And you, for being late, run an additional 50 laps! NOW!"

"EHHH?"

Niou was now far from the school. He walked sluggishly towards the train station and sighed. "Why do I have to do this in the first place?" he whined.

_Flashback_

"_Masaharu, wait for me at the school gates, 'kay?"_

"_Yeah, right." he deadpanned._

_FEW MINUTES LATER..._

"_I'm here," Niou's mom waved. She handed him a box wrapped in a fine pink linen cloth. "I want you to take this to your aunt in Tokyo."_

"_WHAT?" he shouted. When he saw the look in his mother's face (a.k.a. The look of doom), he sighed and hesitantly agreed._

"_That's great! Go now before the sun sets and be safe, ne Masaharu?" she reminded. He just waved back and rode on a bus, going to the train station._

Niou finally reached the train station. He got his tickets immediately and rode the train. When he saw a sitting spot, he sat on it with the speed of light.

He grinned at himself, saying, "I'm so good at this thing, aren't I?"

"_Taking a nap sure isn't a bad thing," he thought. _

He first scanned his surroundings to make sure no one will focus their attention on him. When he was assured, he decided it's time. He was about to close his eyes when a certain person who just stepped on the train caught his eyes. A girl.

His eyes followed to where the girl was going. He was mesmerized with her shoulder-length brown hair tied in a half ponytail that blended well with her light brown uniform. He was sure he had a nose bleed when she faced his direction. He saw and admired her youthful face and her pair of sharp blue eyes that peacefully stared at the window pane. Her smile was so beautiful and warm that he felt like an ice in a frying pan.

Niou never thought that there was a girl this beautiful. He always thought that girls only become beautiful when they fix themselves (put makeup, style their hair, etc.) but this one betrayed his theory. This girl, Niou thought, is one of a kind.

When he saw her uniform badge, he immediately identified her as a Hyotei student.

Instead of sleeping, he spent his time staring at this girl, forgetting everything around him. He was shook out of his thoughts when the announcer said that the train was in Tokyo now. Niou watched the girl step out of the train. He smiled and scratched his head.

"I forgot to take a nap just because of her?" he asked himself. "That's not like me."

He had a big smile on his face as he stepped out of the train. I look forward to see her again, he thought and walked away to do his job.

Sooooooooooooooo, how was it? Crappy or not? I would really like to hear your comments 'bout this. No Flames please, though, this is my first fanfic after all. :)


	2. The Announcement

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 2: The Announcement**

"What's going on with me?" Niou asked himself. "There's definitely something wrong with me."

A week has passed ever since he saw the girl. But, up until now, he can't still the image of her out of his mind. Her youthful face, her peaceful blue eyes, her mesmerizing brown hair that somewhat resembled Renji's hair color and her heart-melting smile was still vividly alive in his mind.

Normally, he only mesmerizes a beautiful girl for a day. Then the next day, he already got over that girl. However, this one is different. And it made him go crazy.

"Pull yourself together, Niou Masaharu!" he said and washed his face. He then took a bath and put on his uniform and went out of his room.

"I see you're awake now. Good morning Masaharu," his mom greeted as she put the food on the table.

"Morning, mom."

"You're surprisingly early today. What makes you?" she asked.

"I just didn't feel like sleeping," he replied as he reached out for a toasted bread.

"Good morning, Masaharu," his dad greeted without even glancing at Niou.

"Morning, dad."

Suddenly, a voice spoke. "Haru-chan waking up early? That's new. Something's definitely going on." That voice belonged to... Niou's _beloved_ sister.

"Stop calling me that," he said as he chewed. He swallowed it and continued, "Nothing's going on."

"Owww, I doubt it," she said as she grabbed a toasted bread.

"Stupid sister," he muttered with a pout.

He finished his meal quickly and grabbed his bag. He said goodbye to his parents and sister and stormed out of his house.

* * *

Niou checked the time at his watch. 5:59am. _I'm surprisingly early today,_ he thought. Instead of just standing there, he went to the clubroom.

When he reached and opened the door of the clubroom, he saw Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi and Yagyuu there. Yukimura, Sanada and Yanagi are discussing about something (probably another training menu/torture menu) and Yagyuu who was reading a book on a corner.

Yukimura was the first one to recognize his presence. "Oh, good morning Niou-kun," he greeted.

"Morning Yukimura-buchou," Niou greeted as he put down his bag.

"Wow, you're surprisingly early today Niou-kun," Yagyuu remarked.

"There is a 75% that something had happened," Renji said. His sister and Renji's guess was true. Hah, as if he will tell them.

"And there is a 50% chance that the 'something' is about a girl," Renji added. Niou blushed as he remembered the girl from the train ride. Good thing he wasn't facing them or they might see his tomato-red face.

"No-nothing happened!" he denied furiously. He then put on his shirt.

Yukimura chuckled at both Renji's prediction and Niou's reaction. "Something definitely happened," he muttered. Renji nodded in agreement. Yagyuu pushed up his glasses and smirked. Sanada was, well, being Sanada as always.

They noticed Niou stepping out of the clubroom. Yagyuu asked, "Where are you going, Niou-kun?"

"Outside. Im'ma warm up," he replied and went out of the clubroom.

"I wonder what happened to him," Yukimura said with an amused voice.

"Just let him be," Sanada grunted. "It is much better for him to be like that."

Yukimura and Yanagi nodded. "Now, back on the topic..."

* * *

"You know what, something's definitely wrong about Niou," Marui said as he watched the match between Niou and a second year. Jackal can't help but nod. Akaya looked confused.

"What are you talking about, Marui-sempai?" Akaya asked.

It was Yagyuu who answered him. "Niou is early today and he seems to be enthusiastic today."

Akaya's eyes widened in surprise. "Niou-sempai is early and enthusiastic? Is that true?" Yagyuu nodded.

"It is indeed a surprise, but it is true, Kirihara-kun," Yagyuu replied.

"Niou's rarely been like that," Marui said.

"Ne, Marui-senpai, do you think he has a girlfriend?" Akaya asked.

Tapping his chin, Marui responded, ""Nope. He may have dated many, but he never took them seriously."

"So, a girl is out of the option," he muttered. Akaya then kept thinking of reasons why his Niou-senpai being like that.

* * *

"First and second years, you are dismissed! Regulars, gather!" Yukimura-buchou announced.

The regulars immediately gathered around in a circle, or rather a semicircle. Yukimura cleared his voice and then said, "Tomorrow, we will be holding practice matches with Hyotei Gakuen."

Niou couldn't help but cry for happiness within his heart. He will have a chance to meet the girl again at last! He didn't expect her to remember him, or to talk to him. He just wanted to see her again so badly that it made his personality turn upside down.

"We will be meeting at the school gates at 8:00 am," Yukimura continued.

"Being late is unforgivable! Those who will be late will run laps until death!" Sanada added. Everyone shivered at his statement and nodded their heads slowly.

"Okay, you are dismissed!"

* * *

Niou smiled like an idiot while walking home. He couldn't wait to see the girl once again. Not only that. He also wanted to know her name. To him, knowing her name is already overwhelming happiness. He only realized it just now.

He stopped smiling like an idiot when he reached his house. He would never ever show himself like that. His mom and sister would just tease him. And he didn't want that. So, he put up his bored face as he entered the house.

"I'm home," he said lazily.

"Ara, welcome home Masaharu," his mom greeted.

His sister glanced at him from the TV screen and said, "Yo, Haru-chan."

Niou just ignored her as he went to his room and slammed the door.

"That's weird," Niou's sister said with mixed confusion and amusement. "He usually snaps back when he's called that."

"I bet he's in love with a girl," NIou's mother suggested.

"HARU? IN LOVE? WITH A GIRL? Now that's interesting." Niou's sister said with a smirk on her face. As if Niou saw that.

"I CAN HEAR THAT! IT IS NOT INTERESTING AND I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH ANYBODY!" Niou snapped. His face was tomato red when he heard that. He wasn't seen,though. Good for him.

Niou's sister chuckled. "He sure is in love."

"AM NOT!"

* * *

When he said he's not in love with a girl, it is partially true. Why? He was not in love with a girl. He just... felt attracted towards the girl that made him want to meet and know her. May be a crush will do. But love? Not yet.

Niou was cheering inside because tomorrow's a good chance to meet her, if she's there. He slammed his back against the bed and spread his arms and legs wide and grinned. Because of his craziness over the girl on the train ride, he forgot to eat dinner and just slept.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Second chapter done at last! Late update was because of the hectic stupid schedule of our school. Projects here, assignments there... WTF! Oh well, HAHAHAHA. **

**SOOOOOOOOOOO, what can you say? Reviews please... I know it's Gekidasa Daze but please, NO FLAMES!  
**

**Oh yeah, and thanks to LilttleFreak for reviewing the first chapter. Again, I appreciate it so much that it made me jump all day like an idiot. :)  
**


	3. The Meeting

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 3: The Meeting**

Niou woke up at the sound of his alarm clock. He rubbed one eye with his hand (you know, like every one of us do when we wake up), stretched his arms and went downstairs.

"Morning," he greeted lazily.

Strange.

No one replied to his greeting.

Not even his loud sister was there.

Oh, they already left, he thought. He heard from last night (in his room, before he went to sleep) that they were going to a business conference.

So, instead of just standing there like a statue, he went to the living room table and saw a note there. Niou picked up the note and read it.

_Masaharu,_

_ Today, I and your dad are going to a business conference, along with your sister. Please take care of yourself. And also, keep the house clean or face the consequences, 'kay?_

Niou shivered at the 'consequences' that was written on the note. He remembered his mother's punishments before that caused him to shudder up until now.

_ We already prepared your breakfast and lunch, so don't you dare skip your meals like you did last night._

What? He skipped dinner last night? Funny, it seems. He NEVER skipped dinner all of his life.

"Wow, I should go to the mental hospital already," he muttered under his breath. "Or maybe visit a psychiatrist some time."

_When you leave, lock the doors and windows, alright? - Masami_

Niou pouted at the last sentence. As if I'll forget that, he grumbled inside.

He then went to the dining table and sparkles filled his eyes when he saw the food on the table. In an instant, he sat down and began feasting.

* * *

After eating, he took a quick shower and changed into his tennis uniform. He then tied his shoes near the door, stepped out and locked the door, and left his house with a smile (not a smirk, not a grin, but a genuine happy smile) on his face.

* * *

He grinned at himself as he looked at the clock near the school gates. 6:40 am. Nobody in the tennis team regulars except himself was there yet. He continued to laugh like a madman deep inside as he waited for his team mates to arrive.

* * *

"You're late, yah know?" Niou said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh my, you're early again," Yukimura stated with mixed surprise and amusement. Sanada stood his right side, Yanagi on his left, and Yagyuu, Marui and Jackal behind the three demons.

Sanada is stoic as always. Yanagi, on the other hand, had an amused smile plastered on his face. Good data, he thought. Yagyuu pushed his glasses. Jackal just stood there. And Marui? Well, you can't remove the bewildered look on his face.

"Nah, you're just late," he replied and pointed at the clock. 8:01 am.

They all went dumbstruck. "Oh," they muttered.

Jackal, being the first one to recover, asked, "Where's Akaya?"

Marui laughed. "I bet he overslept again."

Then, there they heard sounds of running footsteps and panting. Niou smirked and said, "Ah, speaking of the devil..."

Kirihara appeared, clutching his hands on his knees as he pant and try to regain his normal breathing.

"I'm... late... Sorry..." he said as he breathed heavily.

Sanada came to him with a scowl on his face. "TARUNDORU!" He was about to _bitch_ slap Kirihara but Yukimura stopped him. "Now isn't the time for slaps, Sanada. He may get his punishment later, ne?" Sanada can only nod. No one can say no in front of the Child of God, right?

"We're wasting our time," Yukimura said. "We better go now."

And so, the Rikkai regulars went on with their journey to Hyotei Gakuen.

* * *

"I'm thirsty," Niou complained.

"Me too," Kirihara seconded.

Niou turned to Yukimura. "Ne, can we buy first a drink?"

Yukimura nodded. "Sure, for as long as you don't mess around."

"Do you really think we'll mess around, Yukimura?" Niou raised a brow.

"Of course. I've known you for a long time, after all." Yukimura smiled, with his signature smile that will send shivers down your spine. Niou and Kirihara shrugged at this.

"Let's go now kiddo." Niou said, hooking one arm around Kirihara's shoulders. "It's your treat, ne?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?"

* * *

"Che. Why do I have to treat you, senpai?" Kirihara whined as he opened the juice can.

"Because I'm a really great senpai who treats you food?" Niou said and then drank his canned cola.

"Don't be such a feeler," Kirihara snapped. "It is Jackal-senpai who treats me food."

"Ouch, it hurts," Niou faked, gesturing like a broken-hearted girl. Kirihara just gave him the "-_-" look. "Since when did you have interest in drama?"

"Since now?" Niou smirked.

Wondering where they are? Well, they are now standing near a juice machine outside the school.

* * *

They continued to fight like a cat and dog over nonsense things. Out of the blue, they heard someone scream,

"THIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEF!"

Niou and Kirihara turned around to see a thief-looking man in his 40's, holding a bag that they assumed to be owned by the one who screamed earlier. The thief yelled "Move kids!" and then ran in between of them.

Niou stumbled and bumped against the wall and Kirihara fell on the floor. "Owww," they both complained. They were brought back to senses immediately and were about to attack the thief when they saw a girl that blocked the thief's way.

Niou widened his eyes in shock. The... The girl of his dreams... FINALLY! He got to see her again! But, not in the way he expected.

Then, he realized something. Is she going to fight the thief? But what if the thief had a gun or a knife? What if the thief hurt her? He wanted to protect her, but he stayed frozen.

* * *

The girl stood there in a karate-like before-fighting pose, glaring at the thief so hard that it could make the beasts cry to their mommies (which, by the way, was the reason why Niou stayed frozen). She stepped her right foot backward and slowly raised it.

But wait. The thief was wise. He assumed that she was going to kick him on the chest. So, he posed his hands, ready to catch the girl's foot as she kicked.

Hah, of course, she noticed it. She was an expert after all. She smirked as she lowered her foot and kicked the thief's right foot, causing him to slip, before punching him in the stomach. The thief then passed out because of the strength of the punch.

The girl then picked up the bag with one hand and gave it to the owner. "Thanks, Suzuki-san," the owner said with happiness and relief.

"No problem," she replied and smiled.

* * *

Niou was in heaven. Or maybe, he felt that he was going to heaven any minute now. The girl's voice was heavenly. It is like a song that he wanted to hear over and over again but still love it. He stood there frozen, again.

Kirihara shook his frozen senpai. "Oi, senpai! SENPAI! Pull yourself together!"

But Niou still stayed frozen. Kirihara pouted. "WHAT THE FUCK NIOU-SENPAI!" he screamed, near his ears, very loudly.

Unfortunately, Niou still stayed frozen. "SCREW YOU NIOU-SENPAI!"

* * *

The girl approached them. "Ne, are you Rikkaidai tennis regulars?" Kirihara nodded.

"Oh, I've been waiting for you! Yukimura-san asked me to bring you to the tennis courts," she explained. She turned to Niou and asked, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. He just stood frozen there that even my screams and violent shaking didn't work." Kirihara sighed.

Her lips formed an 'o', and then, an idea sparked from her. She smiled confidently and suggested, "Let me try this."

She took one foot and one arm backward and punched Niou in the chest. Niou winced at the action. "Ouch." Kirihara was both awestruck and dumbstruck at the girl.

The girl chuckled. Kirihara regained his composure, thank goodness, and asked for the girl's name.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Suzuki Yukiko, Hyotei Gakuen Third Year. Nice to meet you!" she introduced herself with a bright smile and bowed to them.

Niou collapsed after that.

Kirihara sighed. "Not again, Niou-senpai."

"Is he usually like that?" Kirihara shook his head.

"Strange guy," Yukiko remarked as she helped Kirihara pick up and support the collapsed boy. Kirihara can't help but agree.

* * *

Kirihara and Yukiko talked about many things as they walked along with Niou who just regained his consciousness.

"You're a tennis player before?" Kirihara exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah," Yukiko nodded. "However, I decided to focus on karate when I reach high school. And..." Her happy expression changed into a sullen one.

"And...?" Niou asked.

Yukiko snapped at herself. You shouldn't be dwelling on the past. It has already happened. Just move on, Yukiko!

"No-nothing!" she denied. "Never mind that!" Niou raised his eyebrow while Kirihara stared at her in confusion.

"Ah, we're here!" Yukiko said, running from the place where they've been talking. Niou and Kirihara followed her.

"Yukimura-san, I've brought them here," she reported as she pointed the two boys.

Yukimura smiled and said, "Thanks a lot, Yukiko."

Yukiko grinned back to him. She then turned to face the data man and waved at him, saying, "Renji!"

Renji, of course, turned to her and replied, "Hello, Yukiko."

Niou's world finally crumbled to pieces. The girl whom he had a crush on was already... in a relationship... with someone else... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! His heart screamed.

Most of the Rikkai boys, except Yukimura and Sanada, widened their eyes and fell their mouths open in shock.

"First..." Niou said.

"...Name..." Akaya continued.

"Basis..." Marui finished.

Yukiko blinked at them. Yukimura smiled but was laughing deep inside. Renji chuckled. And Sanada was being Sanada as always.

"What's wrong with the first name basis?" Yukiko asked them in confusion.

"Don't tell me you thought that..." Renji said and then laughed. Yukiko raised an eyebrow but then got what Renji was talking about.

She chuckled and then told them, "It's not what you think, dudes. It's just natural for us to call each other by first names."

"And why is that?" the trio (namely Niou, Akaya and Marui) asked.

Renji, who just recovered from laughing, answered, "We're cousins."

The trio asked again like idiots, "You're cousins?"

Yukiko and Renji nodded. They went dumbstruck. To make things perfectly dumb, they mumbled, "Oh."

"Besides, everyone calls me by my first name," Yukiko added. "Except for those who just met me."

And finally, they were surrounded by awkward silence.

* * *

**Hello, pips! I am back again! XD**

**What do you think? Gekidasa daze or not? I'm still waiting for more reviews... :3**

**Oh, and thanks to my latest reviewers (Niji95, MissMeep, atobe'sgal, Xxdreamergirl95xX and ad90)! I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. :3**

**MissMeep and atobe'sgal, I had fun talking with you! Thanks a bunch! :D**

**HAHAHA... I think I made Haru-chan OOC here...  
**


	4. The Love Rival

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 4: The Love Rival  
**

_Renji, who just recovered from laughing, answered, "We're cousins."_

_The trio asked again like idiots, "You're cousins?"_

_Yukiko and Renji nodded. They went dumbstruck. To make things perfectly dumb, they mumbled, "Oh."_

_"Besides, everyone calls me by my first name," Yukiko added. "Except for those who just met me."_

_And finally, they were surrounded by awkward silence._

The awkward silence that covered them was so thick that they didn't even notice the Hyotei tennis team (except Atobe and Kabaji who aren't there yet) enter. It was only broken when a certain redhead asked, "Oi Yukiko, what are you doing with Rikkai?"

Yukiko turned to see the Hyotei tennis team there. She smiled and remarked, "Oh, didn't notice you were already here."

Shishido was about to say something when Jiro squealed "MARUI-KUN!" and glomped him. Of course, Marui just sighed in defeat and let the narcoleptic boy glomp him. Jiro then turned to Yukiko (while hugging Marui, of course) and asked, "What're you doing with Rikkai?"

"Just saying hello to my dear cousin," she responded, pointing Renji.

"WHAT?!" the whole Hyotei team yelled in shock, making Yukiko chuckle at their reaction.

Another awkward silence embraced them, but was broken by Yukiko's question. "I don't see Keigo-kun and Kabaji-kun here. Where are they?"

"Saa," Yuushi replied.

Niou can't believe his ears. Did Yukiko just call the narcissist king by his first name? His soon-to-be-fixed world crumbled to pieces once again, making him unconsciously fall into his knees. This got the attention of everyone, including Yukiko.

Yukiko ran to him, knelt and asked, "Ano, Niou-san, are you sure you're alright?"

_Her face is so cute when she's worried, he thought._

A slight pink blush crossed his face when Yukiko touched his forehead that gained chuckles and laughter from everyone.

"What a great way of chancing," Shishido said with annoyance.

Gakuto smirked and elbowed Shishido. "Someone's jealous. My, my, teens really grow up fast."

"I'm not jealous!" Shishido snapped, making Gakuto snicker.

"I'm not pertaining to anyone," he said with innocence in his voice and face.

"Why did you react, Shishido-san?" Choutarou asked with a little teasing in his voice.

"You're too obvious, you know, Shishido-senpai?" Hiyoshi deadpanned. This made Shishido blush and glare at his kouhais and friends.

"Hehehe... Shishido is jealous! Shishido is jealous!" Jiro teased and then turned to Yukiko. "Yuki-chan, Shishido-kun doesn't feel well too."

"I AM PERFECTLY FINE!" Shishido yelled.

Yukiko turned to the trio (this time, it's Gakuto, Jiro and Shishido), and then turned to Yuushi and asked, "What's wrong with them?"

Yuushi smirked and replied, "Nothing much. They're just having their childish fights like always."

"Oh," Yukiko muttered, and then returned her attention to Niou. "Are you sure you're fine now?" Niou nodded, still having the blush on his face. Yukiko smiled. "That's good." She then stood up and went to her arguing friends.

Seiichi placed a hand on Niou's shoulder and told him, "Looks like you have a love rival here." He looked at Shishido who has been arguing with Gakuto.

Niou's blush turned from slight pink to dark red. "Sh-shut up!"

Seiichi just smiled and then walked away.

"What's with all this noise, ahn?" a voice from a distant place (yes, distant, really) was heard.

Everyone turned to see the "almighty" Atobe Keigo. Yukiko smirked and muttered,"Ara, the monkey king has arrived..."

"Whom are you calling monkey king, ahn, Yukiko?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he walked down towards the courts, Kabaji following behind him.

"No one, Keigo-kun," she said. "No one."

"You didn't have ore-sama's permission to him by his first name," Atobe said.

"I can call you by any way I want to, Keigo-kun," Yukiko retorted.

"Che." Atobe turned to Rikkai's Yukimura and said, "I apologize for being late."

Sanada (who was surprisingly invisible) stepped in and asked, "Shall we begin the matches?"

Atobe nodded. "Who will be the umpire, then?"

They all turned to Hiyoshi. "Why me again?" he asked.

"Because we said so." Hiyoshi just sighed in defeat and was about to go to the umpire's chair when Yukiko stopped him. "I'll be the umpire."

"Are you sure, senpai?" Hiyoshi asked. Yukiko smiled at him and answered, "I may not be a fan of heights, but I would like to try being an umpire for once." She then walked to the umpire's chair and sat there.

_This is quite scary, she thought, but this may be fun._

"Saa, we will be starting our practice matches now," she announced. "Yukimura-san, Keigo-kun, may I have the list of line-ups, please?"

Yukimura and Atobe then handed her the list. Yukiko stared at the list for a few minutes, snickering at the line-ups that she saw. She then regained her composure and said, "First match players, please step into the court now."

"We're counting on you, Niou/Niou-senpai!" Marui and Akaya cheered.

"Hai, hai," he said nonchalantly as he entered the court, holding his racket and placing its head on his shoulder.

"Don't you dare lose, Ryou!" Gakuto exclaimed.

"Of course I won't!" he snapped and then entered the court. "Now, come!" he muttered as he held his racket with his index finger (yah know, the thing that he usually does).

"First match: Rikkai's Niou vs. Hyotei's Shishido," Yukiko declared. The two players glared at each other with the "I'll-definitely-win-this-match" glare.

"One-set match! Hyotei's Shishido to serve!"

Shishido glared really hard at Niou and his mind screamed, _I'm going to crush this guy!_

Surprisingly, Niou was glaring at him also. Niou thought, _I'm going to crush you, just you wait.  
_

After the glaring session, Shishido finally served the ball. Niou observed from how Shishido served the ball to where the ball lands. He has an impressive serve, he thought. It was a service ace.

"15-0"

Shishido twitched. "Hey! Get serious, will you?" he shouted. Shishido _obviously_ doesn't _hate_ Niou.

"Hai, whatever." Niou deadpanned.

Shishido served the ball and Niou once again stayed where he is and observed the ball. This continued until the score went 40-0.

Good news: He already learned Shishido's serve.

Bad news: Shishido is going to shout at him _again._

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? Don't tell me you're scared..." Shishido shouted, for like, the millionth time.

This made Niou smirk and mutter "Puri".

Yukiko raised an eyebrow. _What's with those two?_

Shishido served the ball, but this time, Niou returned it, making Shishido stand there dumbstruck and unable to return the ball.

Yukiko made an 'o' reaction. Those two are weird, she thought. She smiled before announcing the score. "15-40."

This made Shishido smirk. "Finally got serious, huh?"

"Yeah, thanks to your _annoying_ shouts."

"Che."

Right now, Niou returned all of Shishido's serves and they began to have rallies. After a few minutes...

"Game: Rikkai's Niou, 1-0. Change court."

The two walked and then crossed paths. Niou stopped and said, "Ha, you lost!" Niou mocked.

"Wait until I beat you," Shishido replied.

"As if you can, Mr. Shouter."

"OF COURSE I CAN! And what kind of name is Mr. Shouter? It's Gekidasa Daze!"

"A perfect and suitable name made for you."

"Why you!"

They were about to start a fight when Yukiko interrupted. "Stop right there, you two! Don't forget you're in a match! You can just beat each other in the match, right?"

Surprising it seems, the two just sighed in defeat and went to their respective courts in silence in peace. Even though they kept bickering, the two had their odd similarity: (1) They both can't resist Yukiko. They both like (or maybe, love) Yukiko. And (2) They don't want to face Yukiko's wrath. Facing her wrath means getting beat up. And both of them knows her superhuman strength. So, facing her wrath is like facing your death.

"Saa, let's continue from 1-0. Rikkai's Niou to serve."

_Don't you dare underestimate me! I am Shishido Ryou! _

Niou smirked and then served the ball. Shishido, within a split second, returned the ball. Niou hit the ball back to where he knew it will be out of Shishido's reach, but unfortunately for him, Shishido knew this and was already there.

"That was fast," Renji commented.

His earned Yukiko's attention. "Of course, Renji-kun. He's a hard-worker, after all," she said with a smile.

Shishido hit the ball and because Niou was frozen, he didn't return the ball.

"15-0"

"Way to go, Ryou!" Jiro cheered while clinging to Marui. Yes, he was still _clinging_ to Marui up until _now.  
_

"Now, come!" Shishido exclaimed. He's burning now, figuratively.

Yukiko whistled. "Wow. Shishido's being hot today."

(**A/N: I'm not going to describe the matches anymore in detail from here. I'll just tell the results and stuff. Sorry about that.**)

And so, the match went on with Shishido taking the next 3 games. Unfortunately for him, Niou showed his Illusion to him, making Niou the victor of the next 3 games.

Current score? 4-4. Current time? 12 o'clock in the afternoon.

The sun was strikingly hot. Yukiko was already fanning herself with her hand to keep herself cool and was trying her best not to collapse due to the heat. The others are also trying their best to keep themselves cool. Niou and Shishido's burning match, however, didn't help at all.

Both of them are doing their very best. Neither was backing down. Neither wanted to lose. Both of them wanted to win both the match and Yukiko's interest/attention/heart.

And so, the heating match went on.

* * *

After a few hours, the victory was claimed by Niou, with a score 7-6. The two rivals went to the net.

"Who's Gekidasa Daze now?" Niou said with a smirk.

"Shut up."

Despite this, the two still shook their hands.

Yukiko went down the umpire chair and congratulated the two. "Nice game," she commented with her signature beautiful smile. There they realized that even if the match almost killed them, seeing Yukiko's smile made it worth it.

* * *

**AT LAST! I'M DONE WITH CHAPTER 4! Sooooo, what do you think? Gekidasa daze or not? In my opinion, it's still a little Gekidasa daze. So yeah! Reviews are warmly welcome. NO FLAMES PLEASE, I BEG YOU! If you think this is Gekidasa daze, then just say "It's Gekidasa daze".**

**It took me a long time to update this one. Gah. The periodic exams almost killed me. Almost. Good thing I survived. Since super hell week is over (since every week in our school is hell week), I decided to update this. Hahahaha... :D  
**

**I made Niou AND Shishido OOC here so... GOMEN NASAI!  
**

**Oh, and RabidAnimeFangirl and Xxdreamergirl95xX, thanks for the review for the third chapter!  
**

**To everyone who will read this, please, I beg you to review! Thanks a bunch and excuse my ranting!**


	5. The Sisters

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 5: The Sisters**

"_Game and match: Rikkai's Niou! 7-6," Yukiko announced._

"_Who's Gekidasa Daze now?" Niou said with a smirk._

"_Shut up."_

_Yukiko went down the umpire chair and congratulated the two. "Nice match," she commented with her signature beautiful smile. There, they realized that even if the match almost killed them, seeing Yukiko's smile made it worth it._

After the match came a series of different conversations.

_Rikkaidai side..._

"Way to go, Niou-senpai!" Kirihara cheered.

"Hahaha, can't believe you won Niou," Marui, now free from Jiro's clinging, remarked.

"Hah, well, you should," Niou stated proudly.

"Glad that you beat you love rival, Niou-chan?" Seiichi teased Niou and then winked at him.

Niou blushed and looked down to hide his blush. "Shut up, Yukimura."

"But Niou-chan, didn't she look cute when she smiled at you after the match?" Seiichi teased even more.

Niou then remembered her smiling face after the match. Scratch that, Niou was blushing all out now. _His mind answered, "She isn't just cute Yukimura. She's beautiful."__  
_

But hey, pips. He didn't answer that. Instead, he muttered, "Che."

* * *

_Hyotei side..._

"GAH Shishido, you said you'll win!" Gakuto exclaimed.

"Che," Shishido muttered with annoyance. "I'll win against him next time. I swear I will."

"And you just lost from your new love rival for Yukiko-senpai," Ootori teased.

"SHUT UP, CHOUTAROU!" Shishido shouted, gaining Yukiko and Renji's attention.

"What's the matter, Shishido-kun?" Yukiko asked. This made Shishido blush. _What if she heard it? _He turned his backward cap forward and tugged it to hide his blush. "No...none of your concern," he answered swiftly.

"Oh," Yukiko mumbled and then went back to talking to Renji.

"Awww... Ryou-chan's shy of Yuki-chan..." Jiro cooed.

Hiyoshi noticed, "Why isn't the redhead Rikkai guy with you?"

"Marui-kun? Oh, he pleaded me to free him, so I did," he stated.

* * *

_Back to Rikkai side..._

"You sure are awesome, ne, Niou-senpai?" Kirihara said.

"Of course," he said proudly. "That Shishido doesn't stand a chance against me."

Unfortunately, Shishido's sharp ears heard this and snapped, "I will win against you next time! Just you wait!"

Niou smirked. "I'll be waiting for that. Mr. Shouter."

Shishido twitched even more. "You are so GEKIDASA DAZE."

"Hey, that goes to you because losers are lame. You lost, so you are gekidasa daze," Niou said, adding emphasis on 'losers', 'lame', and 'Gekidasa Daze', making Shishido irritated than ever.

"Why you...!"

And let their heating argument begin!

* * *

Everyone was startled when they heard two different female voices coming from the bushes outside the courts.

"Onee-chan, I don't think we should..." a shy yet high-pitched voice warned.

"But... but but but... I want to," insisted a mezzo-soprano flirty voice.

"What if we get caught?" the shy voice asked.

"I'll be the one in charge so don't you worry. You know me, right?" the mezzo-soprano voice assured.

Dirty things crept into the mind of the tennis regulars. "Just what are they doing?" the two trios (see chapters 3 and 4) asked with fear.

To their surprise, Yukiko walked out the court and straight to the bush. The others followed her. She glared at the bush and then said, "Just what are you two doing here, huh, my _dear _sisters?" She really put emphasis on the word 'dear'.

"I told you, Yui-oneechan, we should've not went here them," a girl with a neck-length hair and purple eyes complained.

"But, I really want to go here, Yuna-chan," the girl with a waist-length hair and brown eyes, whom they pointed out as Yui, pouted.

Yukiko face-palmed and then sighed. She had enough problems dealing with a hot weather and now what? Her sisters had come. She had no choice but to deal with them. Once her sisters decided on something, they will do everything just to get it.

"Fine. You can stay here for a while since you're already here." Yukiko said and then turned to the two captains, namely Atobe and Yukimura.

"Yukimura-san, Keigo-kun, is that okay with you?" she asked.

Yukimura blinked twice for smiling and agreeing. "If the two will be staying here, it is fine with me."

"Keigo-kun?" Yukiko turned her focus to Atobe. Niou and Shishido twitched in jealousy at this.

Atobe sighed and then stated, "Fine, for as long as they won't cause trouble." Hah, even he is the almighty king, he couldn't say no to Yukiko.

"That settles it then. You can stay here." Yukiko said.

Her sister Yui's eyes sparkled. "ARIGATOU, YUKI-CHAN!" she cheered.

"However," Yukiko added with her scary voice that send shivers to everyone's spine, "you owe me an explanation later."

"Ye...Yes," her two sisters nodded.

Yukiko then faced the regulars and said with a smile and said, "I'm being rude, aren't I? Everyone, these are my sisters who just came back from the U.S."

Yui was the one who first introduced herself. "I'm Yui Suzuki. Nice to meet you!" she introduced with a mixed flirty and genuine smile.

Yuna stepped forward with obvious shyness on her face and actions and remained silent for a while. She took a deep breath before introducing herself. "Yuna Suzuki is my name. Pleased to meet you." She finished with a shy smile. Yuna then glanced at Kirihara who has been talking to Marui, blushed and then glanced away.

"Way to go, Yuna-chan!" Yui slapped Yuna at the back really hard.

"That hurt, onee-chan!" Yuna complained, touching her back.

"Yui-oneechan." Yukiko said with a warning voice that meant doom.

The regulars turned to them. Uhm... well, some of the regulars since the others were already facing them.

"Did..." Marui said.

"You..." Niou seconded.

"Just..." Kirihara came next.

"Call..." Shishido continued.

"Her..." Gakuto said, pointing at the Yui.

"ONEE-CHAN?!" they all asked in unison.

"Yeah. Isn't it obvious that she's older than me?" Yukiko answered.

"She may look real older than you..." Marui said.

"...but you are acting like you're older than her..." Gakuto came next.

"...so we concluded..." Kirihara continued.

"...that you're older," Niou and Shishido finished in unison.

These gained a loud laugh from Renji, a stiffed laugh from Yuna, a chuckle from Yukiko, and a twitch from Yui.

"Yui-oneechan just likes to be childish, that's all," Yukiko explained.

"Oh..."

"And..." Yukiko was about to say something when her sister interfered.

"What do you mean I look older, huh?" Yui asked with a monstrous glare. Hahaha, she might be sweet, but she could be scary sometimes, especially when she is called 'old'.

The boys from before shuddered. Yagyuu sensed this and interfered. "Miss, they meant that you look much mature than your sister Yukiko."

Yui shifted from monster glare to sparkly eyes. "Really?" Yagyuu nodded.

"KYAAA!" Yui squealed and did something that startled everyone. She GLOMPED and CLUNG ON Yagyuu.

"Onee-chan..." Yuna muttered with a blush. She couldn't believe her older sister can do this... to a complete stranger.

Yukiko face-palmed once again. "Mou, onee-chan..." She sighed. _Why did these happen to me?_

This made some regulars drop their jaws and freeze and some smile with interest. Yagyuu stood there, petrified at the action of the girl. Why wouldn't he? A girl whom he just knew by name was clinging on him. _Wha... What a fearless girl..._

And once again, silence covered them as the warm wind blew.

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHAHA...! I'm back once again! SOOOOOOOOO, whaddaya think? Gekidasa daze or not?**

**I wrote this chapter really fast for my pace (I usually write for 2 days, but I wrote this for like, 3-4 hours) so you are free to criticize the incorrect grammar and the lameness. PLEASE, ONCE YOU READ THIS, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW 'CAUSE I BADLY NEED AND WANT IT! No flames please. Constructive criticism is fine.  
**

**AND SO, let me thank MissMeep and Xxdreamergirl95xX (hah, I already memorized your pen name) for reviewing Chapter 4. I appreciate it very, very much! :D  
**

**Spoiler (for those who care): After the next chapter comes "The Ultimate Summer Vacation" series that will consist of 6-7 chapters (depends on me). More love rivals of Niou will come. That will be sure. :D  
**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
**


	6. The End of the Practice Tournament

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 6: The End of the Practice Tournament  
**

_"KYAAA!" Yui squealed and did something that startled everyone. She GLOMPED and CLUNG on Yagyuu._

_"Onee-chan..." Yuna muttered with a blush. She couldn't believe her older sister can do this... to a complete stranger._

_Yukiko face-palmed once again. "Mou, onee-chan..." She sighed. Why did these happen to me?_

_This made some regulars drop their jaws and freeze and some smile with interest. Yagyuu stood there, petrified at the action of the girl. Why wouldn't he? A girl whom he just knew by name was clinging on him. Wha... What a fearless girl..._

_And once again, silence covered them as the warm wind blew._

Yukiko couldn't help but get annoyed at her older sister's action. Who in the world would cling to a stranger? Her patience was already at the limit. Hah. Too late. Nobody can stop her now. She walked towards her sister with a dark aura around her and scary face that scared the hell out of everyone (except for Yukimura and Yanagi).

"Onee-chan." she said grimly. Of course, Yui sensed this and got off Yagyuu.

"Ye-yes?" Yui asked, shivering in fear.

"I told you not to cause trouble, right?" Yukiko asked, slowly lifting her head and revealing her demonic angry face. Yui nodded.

"Then why are you causing one now, huh?"

Yui shivered even more. Once Yukiko's patience erupts, nobody can stop it, as far as she knows her sister. She swallowed her pride, knelt and begged "I'm sorry Yuki-chan!" for a _few_ times (hope you get the sarcasm).

Good for her, Yukiko snapped out of her demonic state and just sighed. "Onee-chan, you will be cleaning the bathroom for one week as your punishment, 'kay?"

"Ye-yeah," Yui agreed with relief. _I can get Yuna-chan to help me there, you know?_

"And don't you dare ask help from Yuna-chan. Do you understand?" Yukiko added, making Yui shiver once again. _How did she know?_

"If you're wondering how I knew it," she smiled and turned to point a certain someone, "Renji-kun told me."

Yui knelt there, shivering in fear.

* * *

Yukiko walked towards Yagyuu and said, "I'm sorry for my sister's umm... actions. She may be like that, but she is a nice person."

"I-I don't mind it," Yagyuu replied, pushing his glasses up. _Yukiko-san is quite intimidating, he remarked._ "It was a shock, however, that... you know..."

"Hey, hey, feeling embarrassed aren't we, Yagyuu?" Niou teased, slinging one arm around Yagyuu's shoulders and having 'the look'.

"Of course not!" Yagyuu denied. "I was just..."

"'Intimidated' is what you're going to say, right?" Yanagi interrupted, causing Yagyuu to blush like mad.

"Yanagi!" he roared _a little too loud_, causing everyone to erupt in laughter.

Yui, having recovered from the shivers she had, stood up with a bright smile and said, "Awww... What a cute boy! I think I like him now!" After that, she giggled.

"Congratulations, Yagyuu-kun," Niou teased once again, wiggling his eyebrow as he said 'Yagyuu-kun'. Oh, he really loved making the gentleman blush.

"Congratulations, Yagyuu-senpai! You finally found a girlfriend!" Kirihara cheered.

Everyone clapped along, muttering words of congratulations to the *cough* 'new couple'.

Yukiko tapped her sister's shoulder, not to sermon her but to ask her. "Ne, onee-chan? Are you serious that you like him?" Yukiko whispered.

"Yeah," Yui nodded with fondness in her face. "He may be the prince that will save me from the loneliness that I feel."

Yukiko blinked. Realization dawns to her when her sister glanced at Yukimura Seiichi, the one that caused her first heartbreak, the man who rejected her three years ago, and the reason behind her agreement in going to U.S.

"Is that so?" Yukiko smiled. "If you're sure that he will make you happy, I'll support you all the way." Even though these two usually fight, they truly understand and support one another. Well, what sisters are for?

* * *

After some interruptions, the practice matches still went on. However, there are some changes.

"Wakashi-kun, you'll be the umpire now, ne?" Yukiko requested.

"I thought you wanted to try it," Hiyoshi raised an eyebrow. He _really liked_ being an umpire.

Yukiko grinned. "But I did say 'for once', right?"

Hiyoshi just sighed and agreed. He couldn't disagree to his _favorite_ senpai, after all.

Everyone noticed this, of course. "You don't want to be umpire anymore, Yukiko-senpai?" Ootori asked. Yukiko shook her head. "It's too hot today and I might collapse."

"Yukiko-senpai collapsing? I think it is impossible," Ootori remarked.

Yukiko smiled and tapped her kouhai's shoulder (Wow, she reached it. Way to go, Yukiko!). "You shouldn't worry about me. Worry about your match."

"Ah, I forgot. My bad," Ootori said.

"Do your best, Choutarou-kun," she said. A good senpai wouldn't forget to wish her luck to her favorite kouhai, wouldn't she?

"Yes, senpai," Ootori nodded and then called his doubles partner out. "Let's go, Kabaji-kun."

"Usu," Kabaji replied, following behind Ootori.

* * *

_Rikkai side..._

"Jackal, we mustn't lose this, ne?" Marui asked as he munched his strawberry-flavored cake. Even though he already conquered his stamina problems, he continued to eat cake before a match. Habits can't be easily avoided, they say.

"Aa," Jackal responded as he shaved his head. Same explanation goes to him as well.

Marui licked his lips, picked up his racket, stood up, and went to the court with Jackal beside him. "Let's do this!" Marui exclaimed.

"Aa," Jackal replied.

The next match was a Doubles Match between Ootori-Kabaji pair vs. Marui-Jackal pair.

(**A/N: Just like I did at the previous chapter, I'll be just stating the score and why. Sorry folks. I'm not that good with describing matches in detail. Wah, shame on me. Again, sorry pips.**)

Since it's Ootori's service game, he used his specialty, the Neo Scud Serve, making the two of them take the first game. The next game was dominated by them too because Marui and Jackal weren't playing seriously at this point. They were still analyzing their opponents' play style. Unfortunately for them, the third game was taken by Ootori once again, due to his nonreturnable ultra-fast Neo Scud Serve. For there, Marui and Jackal realized that it was time for them to get serious.

Marui used his Tsunawattari (**A/N: Is the spelling correct?**), making them dominate the game. The next game was taken by Ootori and Kabaji, thanks to Ootori's Neo Scud Serve, making the score 4 – 1. Marui used the Tsunawattari again, making them win 15-0. However, Kabaji copied this for many times, and taking this game. But, but, but... Marui and Jackal won't let them win that easily. Marui tried hitting Tsunawattari again and Ootori tried to return it. Unfortunately, his shoulder slammed on the pole. (**A/N: This wasn't intended by Marui, pips.**) Yukiko got worried and even attempted to go where Ootori was but was fended off by Ootori himself, saying "I'm fine, senpai." Due to this, however, Ootori couldn't hit his special serve. Marui and Jackal took this to their advantage. Another thing was Kabaji couldn't hit more Tsunawattari (ask him why). They were now playing an even match, a match of patience and teamwork. In the end, Marui and Jackal won the match with the score 7 – 5.

The two doubles teams went to the net and had a handshake. "You two are good," Marui complimented, "but my genius skills are better."

"Thanks for the match," Ootori bowed. He turned to Kabaji and said, "It was a fun match, ne Kabaji?"

"Usu," was Kabaji's reply, as always. And then, he added, "It was fun.*"

* * *

_Hyotei side..._

Ootori and Kabaji went back to the benches. Ootori bowed his head, saying, "I'm sorry, everyone. That we lost. If it wasn't because of me, we should have..."

"Choutarou-kun." Yukiko tapped her kouhai's shoulder. "You did your best, that's what matters now. You showed your strength and that is enough. Do not regret something that you put your best on. Ne?"

"Hai," Ootori replied. Yukiko ruffled Ootori's hair. "Good kouhai," she praised Ootori.

"I'm not a dog, senpai."

"Yeah, yeah. But you are as cute as one." Yukiko grinned.

Yuushi stood up. "I guess we can't afford another loss."

Gakuto cheered. "Go Yuushi!"

"Hai, hai."

"We'll be counting on you then, Yuushi-kun," Yukiko said.

"Maa, Yukiko, don't put too much burden on my shoulders," Yuushi said. Yukiko grinned to him. "Don't just stand there, Yuu-chan. The match won't be waiting for you."

"Hai, hai," Yuushi murmured, walking towards the court with a mixture of hot and cool aura.

* * *

_Rikkai side..._

"Oi, Seaweed brat, go for our third win!" Marui cheered.

"And if you lose, you will be running laps until death," Niou said with a wicked smirk plastered on his lips.

"Naked," Renji added, "As your punishment for being late."

Everyone snickered. Akaya scowled. "You still remember that?"

"Saa, Akaya-kun, go now," Yukimura said as flawless as ever. "Don't lose," he added with his infamous smile.

"Ye...yeah, Buchou," Akaya replied, shuddering at his buchou's smile. _My senpai-tachi are so scary._

He walked to the courts with the feeling of the need of winning. He doesn't want to suffer the consequences made by his sadistic senpais.

* * *

Akaya was the one who served first. He used the twist serve. Yuushi, on the other hand, was carefully observing the serve. When the score reached 40-0, Yuushi decided to take action by showing 'some' of his moves, thus making him win the first game. He also controlled the next 3 sets. Current score? 4-0.

Akaya went into Devil Mode just now, taking two games with him. However, in the end, it was Yuushi who claimed the victory with the score 6-2. The two shook hands at the net and went back to their respective teams.

* * *

_Hyotei side..._

"Good game, Yuushi-kun," Yukiko remarked, tossing a canned juice to Yuushi.

"What's this?" Yuushi asked, catching the canned juice. Yukiko smiled and answered," Let's just say that it was a victory reward. You deserve it, anyway."

"No payment needed?"

"No payment needed."

"Well then, thanks," Yuushi said, opening the can. He was about to drink it when Shishido slammed his tennis bag _too_ loudly at the bench and said with a clearly annoyed face, "I'm going to buy a drink."

This made everyone erupt in fits of laughter. Yukiko blinked in confusion. She didn't get it. _Why are they laughing? And what's with Shishido?_ She sighed. _I do have weird friends, don't I?_

"Uhmmm, excuse me. What's so funny, guys?" Yukiko asked, making the Hyotei boys stand there dumbfounded.

"You didn't get it, Yukiko?" asked Gakuto with a bewildered look in his face. Yukiko nodded innocently.

"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed.

They laughed once again, although this time, harder than before. She mentally concluded, _My friends are truly crazy._

Gakuto was clenching his stomach and was rolling all around in his uncontrollable laughter. Jiro was waving his hands in the air. The others were doing the same with Gakuto, except for the 'rolling around' part.

"Shi...shishido-san... is jealous...!" Ootori exclaimed in between his laughter.

"Shishido-kun is jealous? Of what?" Yukiko pouted.

This time Atobe was the one to answer her. "Of Oshitari, obviously."

"I'm not jealous of Oshitari! And I'll never be!" Shishido roared with a blush on his face.

"Oh yeah?" Gakuto faked a doubtful face and voice.

Yui joined in, "But your face says otherwise, Shishido!"

"Onee-chan!" Yuna reprimanded.

"Ryou-chan is jealous! Ryou-chan is jealous!" Jiro chanted while bouncing around. Yes, bouncing around.

"Am not!" Shishido retorted for the last time and then stormed away from his team mates.

Ootori commented, "He's really jealous."

"Why would he deny something so obvious?" Hiyoshi deadpanned, crossing his arms.

"Weird guy," Yukiko remarked, raising an eyebrow. "He was never like that before."

Jiro wrapped an arm around her. "Yuki-chan," he said, "let's just say that every one of us underwent puberty."

Yukiko pouted even more. "Huh?" And then she remembered something. "Ah! That's it! I know why Shishido-kun is jealous!" she exclaimed.

"Do you mind telling us?" Yuushi asked with amusement.

"Shishido-kun is jealous of Yuushi-kun because I treated Yuushi-kun!" she explained with glee.

Everyone stood there, dumbfounded once again. "Yukiko didn't get it, huh?" Gakuto said.

"Yuki-chan is so dense," Yui remarked in a soft voice.

"She will never find a boyfriend easily like that," Atobe added.

"I agree," Yuushi nodded.

Yukiko raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

They immediately regained their composure. "No-nothing..."

_My friends are indeed the weirdest people on Earth_, she concluded once again. Yukiko then started running off, telling them that she'll be treating something to Shishido.

* * *

_Rikkai side..._

"Niou-chan, aren't you gonna be jealous?" Yukimura asked/teased Niou.

"Of whom? And why would I?" Niou glanced away at Yukimura with a scowl on his face. He might pretend that he didn't know, but he did. And another thing? He was heating up with rage inside. His theme song for now is "That Should Be Me". Hah, as if he will let them know.

"Of Shishido, because he is currently chased by Yukiko," Yukimura stated.

"And I care why?" Niou asked.

"Well, because you _love _her...?" Yukimura answered, smiling a little too widely.

"My, my, Niou-kun. I can't believe that you will be developing feelings for my cousin," Renji, who appeared out of nowhere, said.

Marui and Akaya's sharp ears caught this and went to the place where 'the talk' was being held. This also caught the curiosity of the rest of the regulars, making them tag along.

"NIOU'S IN LOVE WITH YOUR COUSIN, RENJI?" Marui said in disbelief. "However, I wonder who."

Akaya suggested, "It is obviously Yukiko-san. She's the coolest out of them."

"What do you mean, Kirihara-kun?" Yagyuu asked.

Akaya explained, "Your (Yagyuu) girlfriend is... well... not that much of my type and the youngest one with the black neck-length hair..."

"Yuna-san?"

"Yeah," Akaya continued, "That girl keeps staring at me and I find it creepy. But Yukiko-san is so cool! She beat the hell out of the thief earlier! Plus, she helped me in carrying Niou-senpai and I had a lot of fun talking to her."

"Why would you carry Niou?" Marui asked.

"He collapsed," Akaya replied.

"Eh!? When?" they asked and exclaimed in unison (hey, even Sanada joined the unison).

"Uhmmm," Akaya thought for a while. They all waited for his response.

"I think it was when Yukiko-san introduced herself. I must admit that..." Akaya blushed a light shade of pink. "...she looked cute that time."

Renji smirked. "Good data," he muttered. "I can't wait to tell these to Yukiko."

Akaya and Niou glared at the data master. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes I would."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

And so, Akaya and Niou ended up chasing the data master.

* * *

Due to many distractions and the fact that it was almost late, they stopped their practice touurnament from Akaya's match.

The practice tournament was a success, or so they thought. Rikkaidai was the one who won, obviously. The two teams bid each other goodbye and went home with smiles and memories that they will never forget.

* * *

**How was it? Crappy or not? Gekidasa daze or not? REVIEWS, PLEASE! XD**

**I made EVERYONE, yes, EVERYONE, OOC here so, again, GOMEN NASAI!  
**

**So far, this is the longest chapter that I've written. Just sharing~!  
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**And thanks to the lovely reviewers of the 5th chapter namely MissMeep, ScherzoVivace and Xxdreamergirl95xX ! I appreciate it with all of my heart~!  
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**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, pips! :D  
**


	7. The Ultimate Summer Vacation: Part 1

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 7: The Ultimate Summer Vacation: Part 1 (The Invitation)**

_It's been a week, eh? _Niou thought as he stared blankly at the window pane of the classroom. Just as he thought, it had been a week since he met and got to know Yukiko. And what's up? He couldn't get over it. He couldn't define the happiness he felt when he saw her once again. Plus, he even _talked _to her. And now, he had been wondering if the feeling that he had for her was still of a crush or... might be something deeper than that.

He had been spacing out for a while that the teacher had to shout at him _in the face_ before he (the teacher is male) got Niou's attention.

"Niou-san, I'm sorry for _disrupting _your _little daydream_ but may I remind you that we're_ having_ _a class_?" said the teacher.

Niou snapped back into reality. "I'm sorry, sensei!" apologized Niou. Marui snickered at this. _He's totally into that Yukiko._

"Is that so? Well then, could you kindly..."

* * *

And so, the class ended with Niou flustered in front of everybody **(A/N: **Who knows what the teacher did to him... I'm not that sadistic so I'll just leave this to your little sadistic minds, pips.**)** and the teacher giving him detention for the day.

* * *

Most of the tennis team regulars gathered on one table that lunch time. The three demons sat beside each other on one side, along with Akaya who is beside his Yanagi-senpai. Jackal and Yagyuu sat on the opposite side of them.

Akaya kept on whining about his English teacher. Yanagi smiled at him with amusement. Sanada was getting pissed off by his childish actions and whines and wanted to scold him and give him his almighty slap but one look from Yukimura told him otherwise. Jackal and Yagyuu just ignored them and ate in peace.

Things started to change when a flustered Niou and an almost-dying-because-of-laughing Marui came into their table, making them as stunned as ever. Marui used to laugh his head off, but not _this much_. And Niou was never _this _flustered. It was true that he can blush lightly but it was the very first time to see him as flustered as the deepest shade of red. They all came into one conclusion (except for Sanada 'cause he didn't really give a damn on all these stuff): _Something has happened._

Akaya was the first one to regain his senses and asked Niou, "What's with the flustered face, Niou-senpai?"

Niou felt another lightning bolt strike him. He was almost over that incident and now what?! The brat reminded him of it again. And so, he slammed his lunch on the table as he sat beside Yagyuu with a dark face, muttering "Nothing".

Marui tried to stifle his laughter as he sat beside Jackal. "Nothing, huh?" he teased.

"If I said nothing, it's nothing," glared Niou.

Akaya whispered to Yanagi, "Ne, Yanagi-senpai, he's like Yukimura-buchou when he's angry."

"True," agreed Yanagi.

After that commotion, they all ate in silence.

* * *

Afternoon came and Yukiko found herself standing in front of Rikkaidai Fuzoku.

"Oh, so this is where Renji-kun studies, huh?" she muttered and then looked down at the envelope she was holding.

_Flashback_

"You want me to give this to Renji-kun?" Yukiko asked, blinking at the invitation her mother gave her.

"Yes," Yoko Suzuki, Yukiko's mother, nodded.

"But why can't you just drop this to Haruhi-obaasan's office? It's quite near here, you know?" she retorted.

"Well..." Yoko-san tried to think of reasons but just dropped it off. "It's a matter for old people, you know? So..."

_Screw mom and her laziness._

Yukiko sighed and thought for a while. _Arguing with mom is so hopeless. Plus, she knows I don't have karate practice today. I guess I have only one choice. _"Fine. I'll give it to him."

Yoko-san's eyes sparkled in happiness. She hugged Yukiko for a few seconds and then pulled back. "Thank you so much, Yuki-chan! That is the reason why I love you so much!"

_Love me so much? Hah. You only say that when you need me. _"Hai, hai," Yukiko deadpanned.

"And also, tell him that he could bring his team mates with him," Yoko-san added. Yukiko nodded.

"I'll be off now! Bye Yuki-chan!" Yoko-san said, waving at Yukiko before riding on her extravagant limousine that can rival Atobe's. Yukiko just waved back at her mom and walked back to the school grounds.

_End of Flashback_

Yukiko sighed. "I better go now." And, she stepped into Rikkai with confidence.

As she walked around, she couldn't help but admire the school for its beauty. However, she felt somewhat overwhelmed with the hugeness of the school, and thanks to that (the hugeness), she had a hard time finding the tennis clubroom or even the tennis courts.

Good thing for her, she crossed paths with her friend Ayumi*.

"Ayumi!" called Yukiko. Ayumi turned to see the one who called her and then muttered, "Yukiko?"

Ayumi then ran towards her and asked, "It's been a long time, Yukiko. Anyways, why are you here?"

"Ayumi-chan, could you show me where the tennis clubroom or the tennis courts is?" Yukiko asked.

Ayumi blinked before answering Yukiko, "Oh, the tennis courts are..."

She was stopped when a boy ran to them and asked, "Yukiko-san? Minami-senpai?"

"Akaya-kun..." recognized Ayumi.

"Kirihara-kun?" spoke Yukiko.

Akaya tried to regain his breathing first before asking, "What are you doing here, Yukiko-san?"

Yukiko replied, "I'm looking for the tennis club. Could you show me where it is?"

_Why would she look for the tennis club? _"Oh, sure."

Yukiko twinkled in happiness as she heard Akaya's response. _I could die now, Akaya thought. _"Sorry for disturbing you, Ayumi-chan," Yukiko bowed as an apology.

"I don't mind it," Ayumi responded with a smile.

"Well, we must go now. Bye, Ayumi-chan!" Yukiko said.

"Bye," she said. And so, Akaya and Yukiko went to the tennis courts_._

* * *

"You went here just to give me this?" asked a confused Renji.

Yukiko's sweet face turned into a sour one when Renji asked that question. "Mom forced me. You know how lazy that old woman is," she said furiously.

"I know that, but she should've sent this to my mother in Tokyo," answered Renji.

"I already told her that!" she yelled in annoyance. "But she wouldn't listen."

Yukiko just sighed. _Remain calm, Yukiko. Remain calm. _She turned to Yukimura and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry for interrupting your practice, Yukimura-san."

"It's no big deal," Yukimura answered. "Besides, it's rare to see you here so we might as well welcome you."

"Thank you, I guess," she muttered.

"Oh, mom said your team mates could also come," Yukiko added.

"Really?" Kirihara eyes sparkled in glee. Yukiko nodded, ruffling his hair in the process with a cute smile.

"We all don't have summer plans yet, right?" Yukimura asked.

Jackal raised his hand. "I'm sorry but I already have summer plans with my family."

Yukiko pouted. "It's a shame, Jackal-san."

"Indeed, it is. I'm sorry for that."

And so, everyone went talking about the upcoming event (in the invitation). Yukiko unconsciously glanced at her wrist watch and screamed in panic.

"What's the problem, Yukiko?" Renji asked.

Yukiko answered, "I didn't notice it was already late and I may not have the chance to catch the train."

Renji also checked his watch and agreed with her. "I guess I better go now. See you guys!"

And so, she ran off and left the tennis club. They waved goodbye at her until her shadows disappeared in the light.

* * *

Right after Yukiko ran off, Niou came in the tennis courts, confused and somewhat curious with the commotion happening.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, walking inside the courts.

Akaya pasted an evil grin on his face. "Someone special just came by. Too bad you didn't get the chance to meet that someone."

Niou raised an eyebrow. "Who's that _someone_?"

Renji smirked. "Yukiko just _happened _to come by a while ago while you're away."

"Wha... What!?" Niou exclaimed. _Yukiko... came... here...?_

Marui whispered _loudly _to Yagyuu, "What a shame it is."

Yagyuu pushed up his glasses, making him gain a glint from it, "Too bad she already left."

Akaya butted in. "And the reason why he missed her once-in-a-blue-moon visit...?"

"I heard Niou got detention today..." Marui said.

_This is fun, Yukimura thought. I might as well join into this. _"Why was he in detention, anyway?" Yukimura joined.

Marui added, "Shall I tell you the reason why?"

"Shut up, you big ball of fat!" Niou yelled.

"Who are you calling a big ball of fat, huh? Would you mind looking at yourself first?" Marui snapped.

"Oh yeah?"

And the argument between the two went on, leaving the other regulars wondering why Niou got detention for the day.

* * *

Niou went home with a scowl on his face. He stormed inside their house without even bothering to greet back to his parents and sister, leaving them confused about what happened to their Masaharu/Haru-chan. Another thing? He didn't bother to eat dinner.

As soon as he reached his room, he slammed his back on his bed and went to sleep.

* * *

***Check out my profile if you want to know her more. :D  
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**HEEEELLLLOOOOOOOOOO PIPS! I'm BACK! I'm sorry I updated for sooooo long (this is, for those who care)! You see, I had tons of schoolwork and I got sick for two days so I didn't get the time to update this. Plus, I got a writer's block. So, I'm sorry.  
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**Goodbye, pips! :D  
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	8. The Ultimate Summer Vacation: Part 2

**Snow in a Spring's Day**

**Chapter 8: The Ultimate Summer Vacation: Part 2 (The Beginning of the Travel)**

Niou was in the middle of a deep sleep when his phone rang. He ignored it at first. However, his phone kept ringing and it bugged him, a lot. So, he rose from his bed and looked at his clock. 4:30 A.M. _Who on earth would call me in such a deadly early morning?_

He picked up his phone and opened the screen, only to find an unfamiliar number in display. He reluctantly answered it, lifting the speakers of the phone up to his ears.

"Hello?" he said.

"_I'm sorry for calling you this early, Niou-san!"_ the caller apologized. Niou felt his heart rising up in the sky as he heard the voice of the caller.

"Yu-yukiko-san?" he stammered.

"_Ah, Niou-san, sorry to disturb your sleep,"_ she repeated.

"Nah, I don't mind it," he replied nonchalantly. But, deep inside, he was already jumping for joy.

"_Uhmmm, can I ask you a favor?"_

"A... favor?" he asked.

"_Yeah. The truth is... uhmmm..."_

He couldn't tell what was his feeling now. But he knew that his heart was ready to leap out of him any time now.

"_Is today your last school day?"_

He could feel it, the climax of his life.

"Yeah."

_Is she asking me out? _(What a feeler.)

"_Great. Oh, could you please tell everybody that the meeting place for the trip is on the Hyotei Gakuen grounds...? Uhmmm... If they don't mind... And also, the meeting day and time is Sunday, 8 o'clock in the morning."_

Right now, he felt his heart fall down and crush into the ground. He could scream "Oh why?!" now but instead, he answered,

"Oh, sure. I don't see why not."

"_Thank you very much, Niou-san!"_

Even though Niou couldn't see it, he could feel the sparkly aura that Yukiko was emitting.

"_And Niou-san, could you please tell Renji to call me when he reaches home?"_

"Sure."

Out of the blue, something came into his mind. _Why was I the one that she called?_

"Uhmmm... Yukiko-san, can I ask you something?" stuttered Niou.

"_Sure. Go ahead," agreed Yukiko._

He was about to ask her when he thought, _Don't think that she's into you just because she called you, Niou Masaharu!_

Instead, he sighed and answered, "Never mind that. Go to sleep now."

"_Is that so?" she asked in confusion. "Thanks again."_

"Yeah." And so, he hung the phone line. (Is that right?)

He stayed awake after the phone call.

* * *

"...And so, your summer break will start tomo..."

Before their home room teacher finish his speech, everyone started cheering and chatting with their buddies about their plans for summer break.

In the middle of a noisy class was an unusually silent Niou who was staring blankly at the window of their classroom. Well, blankly, for those in the classroom.

The question that was engulfing his mind for a while was: _Why was I the one that she called?_

He thought about it deeply. She could have called Yanagi or Yukimura, but she didn't. She called _him_. And, it's driving him insane.

He considered the option to just ask her. But, he thought that it might be rude. However, he might not know the answer if he wouldn't ask her.

Another option was to make Yanagi ask her instead. However, he just shrugged off the thought since he knew that Yanagi will tell her that it was him (Niou) who asked.

His last option was to not ask her, which wouldn't happen.

His mind was so focused on that thought that he didn't notice the announcement of the teacher, the cheers coming from his extremely happy classmates, the chatters around him, and even the calling of his best friend, Marui.

He was snapped back into reality when Marui blew air near his ear.

"Woah..." he shuddered and turned to see the culprit. He twitched at this. "Whaddaya want, Marui?"

Marui faked a hurt face. "Is that how you treat your best friend? Oh, I'm hurt."

Niou raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

_He's surprisingly silent today. Very interesting. _Marui grinned at him. "Mind sharing your daydreams with me?"

"I would rather not... and hey! I wasn't daydreaming!" Niou exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah? So, if you weren't then would you mind explaining the reason why you didn't respond to me a while ago?" Marui asked, teasingly.

"I didn't hear you," he replied.

"Really? You didn't hear me? I shouted at you, you know," Marui said.

_He shouted at me? _Marui leaned near him and rested one arm on Niou's shoulder with a sly grin on his face. "So, lemme guess. You're daydreaming about..." he said and then leaned closer to Niou's ear, whispering, "Yukiko, right?"

His face totally screamed "JACKPOT!" at that.

Marui proudly grinned at him. "Hah, I already knew you're into her. But thanks for the confirmation, anyways."

He blushed even more. _Was I... that obvious... for Marui... to notice?_

"The tennis team would be more than delighted to hear this," Marui chirped.

"You wouldn't dare," Niou said, dangerously.

"Oh, yes I would," Marui replied casually.

"You wouldn't, because if you did, I would be more than happy to tell everybody in school that you are in love with..." Marui heard the warning bells and immediately covered Niou's mouth.

"Shut up, bastard!" Marui yelled and then sighed, "That was a close one."

Ayumi then turned to them and asked, "Is something wrong, Marui-kun, Niou-kun?"

The two shook their heads. "No-nothing."

"Oh," she muttered and then went back to the conversation she was having with her friends in class.

Marui then glared at Niou. "You're such an ass, Niou."

Niou smirked at him. "You're the one to talk."

* * *

The tennis club's last afternoon practice for summer had ended. The tennis regulars then went to the clubroom to change. Unexpectedly, silence covered the tennis clubroom as they change into their school uniforms.

Out of the blue, Niou was the one who broke the silence. "Uhmmm... I'm going to announce something."

Niou's statement both startled and took the interest of the regulars. It was rare for the trickster to break the silence. Sure, he was one of those who reigned in making the clubroom noisy, along with Marui and Akaya (I acknowledge them as the "Sannin Bakamono" or the "Three Idiots"), but he never started one (unless he had decided to prank someone).

_Is he going to reveal to everyone that he likes Yukiko himself? _Marui thought.

He cleared his voice before speaking, "Yukiko... called me... today."

Everyone stood there, dumbfounded at what Niou said. Akaya reacted in shock, "Did... you... just say... that... Yukiko-san called you?! Do you expect me to believe it, Niou-senpai?"

"Oh, so that's why you're spacing out in class?" Marui grinned in amusement.

Renji glanced with interest at what Marui said. "Niou spacing out... because of Yukiko... Interesting..." he smirked. "Good data."

And so, Renji went on writing on his god-only-knows-what's-inside notebook, closing it after writing and said with the same smirk on his face, "I'll be more than happy to tell her this."

"Shut up, Renji," Niou glared.

"What did she tell you, anyways?" Yukimura asked.

"Oh, right," Niou snapped back into reality and then answered, "She said that we'll be meeting at Hyotei Gakuen tomorrow, if you don't mind."

Yukimura smiled. "Of course we don't mind. We are the ones who bother them, after all. Right?" And then, Yukimura turned to see the reactions of his team. No one disagreed with him and so, Niou went on with his announcement.

"She said to meet up at 8 o'clock in the morning," Niou added.

"Oh, is that all?" Renji asked in confirmation. Niou nodded.

"Well then, everyone, we shall meet at Hyotei Gakuen tomorrow at 8 o'clock in the morning. No one shall be late," Yukimura announced. "Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded. They knew that they might get in trouble if they get into Yukimura's nerves. And they didn't want that. They love their lives, after all.

After that, everyone went home.

* * *

Niou went home with his usual bored face.

"Welcome home, Masaharu," Niou's mother greeted.

"Yo, Mom," Niou replied casually. Then, he noticed something. His sister wasn't there. Neither was his father.

Niou's mother smiled at him. "Your sister and father went on their own trips."

"Oh," Niou muttered, went to his room to change clothes, and then went to the dining table.

"Masaharu, please get the glasses for me," Niou's mother requested as she placed the food on the table.

"Sure," he answered and got and put the glasses on the table. After the preparation, the two sat down and ate.

Niou was still hesitant about asking his mother about the trip. However, he knew it will not do him any good to shut up so he took all of the courage he had and told his mother,

"Mom, we're going to have a trip tomorrow."

Niou's mother stopped eating and asked, "With your team mates?" Niou nodded.

She remained silent for a while, which bothered Niou a lot, before smiling brightly and said, "Sure, why not?"

Niou stared at his mother in worry. His mom might be scary sometimes. Despite that, she still had her caring side and that's why Niou loved her a lot. "Are you sure you will be okay, mom?"

Niou's mother closed her eyes and then opened it with a smile. "Don't worry. I know it'll be sad but if you want to go to the trip so badly, why would I stop you?"

This made Niou smile in relief. "Thanks, Mom."

"Saa, continue eating now, Masaharu. The food might get cold," Niou's mom said.

And so, the two ate in peace and talked about stuff.

* * *

After eating, Niou packed his luggage and went back to his thoughts. He remembered what his mom said. _"You will never know what you want to know if you don't try or don't have the courage to ask."_

He made up his mind. _I'll ask her tomorrow._

After that, he went to sleep.

* * *

The sun hadn't risen yet when Niou woke up. He's not a morning person but now, he seemed to be one. He's going to a trip with Yukiko, after all.

He took a bath first and then changed his clothes (**A/N: **Just imagine him in any outfit that you want, as long as he looks hot)**.** He went to the kitchen and searched for something to eat.

He opened the refrigerator and got some bread and made coffee for himself. After that, he sat on the living room table and watched nonsense TV shows (for him) on the TV.

* * *

Hours had passed and it's time for Niou to take off to Hyotei Gakuen. He left a goodbye and take care note on the living room table for his mom and went to Hyotei Gakuen.

He was welcomed by a familiar voice calling him. "Niou-senpai!"

Ah, the brat. "Yo," he greeted.

"Good morning, Niou-kun," Yagyuu greeted back.

"Yo, Niou!" Marui greeted.

"Good morning, Niou-chan," Yukimura teasingly greeted.

From a distance, he could see the girl of his dreams, Yukiko, chattering happily with Ootori and Shishido. He twitched a bit in jealousy, which earned the interest of most of the Rikkai regulars.

Yukiko turned to their direction and greeted with a smile, "Good morning, Niou-san."

_Kill me now, he thought. _"Good... good morning, Yukiko-san," he greeted back with a little stutter. _Pull yourself together, Niou Masaharu! You're better than this!_

Yukiko came to him, holding a small green box. She smiled, gave the box to him and said, "Thank you for yesterday, Niou-san."

Niou blushed at her. "What's this?" he asked.

She smiled proudly at him. "It's a gift for you."

He felt himself blush harder. _Fo-for... me? Is this... heaven? _"It's for me?" She nodded. "Inside it is a cupcake that I made. I hope you like it."

Ootori went where the two (Yukiko and Niou) were having a conversation and added, "Yukiko-senpai's really good at making stuff like that. She used to give me one whenever I pass my exams or win my matches, ne?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Aren't I the sweetest senpai?"

"Dream on," Hiyoshi butted in, making Yukiko glare at him. "Shut up, Wakashi."

"Whatever," he replied nonchalantly and went off somewhere. Yukiko pouted. "What a rude guy."

"Maa, maa, don't let the heat get into you, senpai," Ootori reminded.

Yukiko's pout turned into a grin. "I won't."

"Where are your sisters, Yukiko?" Gakuto asked.

"They're still at home, fixing themselves along with my mom," Yukiko responded.

"Yuki-chan!" a familiar voice called. Yukiko turned to see the caller, who turned out to be...

"Onee-chan?" Yui giggled at this. "What's with you, onee-chan?"

Yui's smile grew wider. "What's with me?"

Yukiko raised an eyebrow. "More importantly, what's with that outfit of yours?"

"Oh, this?" Yui asked, pointing at what she's wearing. Today, she wore a dark pink tank top and a light pink skirt that is too short. Her feet were wearing a pair of pink slipper-style sandals. Overall, it fitted her, however, it gave too much emphasis on her body.

Yukiko nodded. "I think it's too..."

"Too pretty? Hah, you didn't need to say it anymore. I'm pretty, right?"

"Shut up, onee-chan," Yukiko said.

Yui pouted. "Che, Yukiko. You're just jealous of me. Look at yourself."

Reluctantly, Yukiko scanned wore a spaghetti-strapped dark purple top over a short-sleeved lavender shirt. She also wore white knee-length pants and a pair of lavender doll shoes. (**A/N**: I'm not good at details of clothes so yeah, excuse that.)

"There's nothing wrong with me," Yukiko commented.

Yui sighed. "You're no fun, Yuki-chan." And then, Yui turned sparkly and approached Yagyuu, her so-called 'prince'.

"Don't I look pretty, Yagyuu?" Yui seduced, making Yagyuu shiver. _I don't really understand this girl. _He (Yagyuu) had no other choice but to agree with her. "You do look pretty, Yui-san."

Yui squealed at first but then pouted when Yagyuu called her name with '-san'. "Uhmmm..." she started. "What's your first name?"

Yagyuu asked while pointing at himself, "Me?" Yui nodded. He was hesitant to give the girl his first name. He barely knew her, but it would be rude not to answer her. "Hiroshi. That's my first name."

Yui squealed once again. "What a manly name! From now on, I'm going to call you Hiroshi and you're going to call me Yui _without the '-san'_, okay?"

Her statement made Yagyuu step back. He was never this intimidated in his life. But, he was a gentleman. _Pull yourself together, Hiroshi! You're better than this. _

Yagyuu coughed a bit before explaining, "It'd be informal to call you just by your first name. You see, we barely knew each other."

He expected her to look down and to sigh in defeat but her reaction was the exact opposite. "I see, a gentleman," she remarked. "It's fine to call me with my first name without honorifics. I don't mind it for as long as it is you."

Yagyuu's mind sighed in defeat. _I guess there's no other option but to agree with her. _"If that's what you want, then I have to call you that, Yui."

This made Yui smile genuinely, making Yagyuu smile back.

"Ara, ara, what do we have here?" a Shizuru Fujino*-like voice said.

"Onee-chan!" Yuna called.

"Mom? Yuna-chan?" Yukiko turned to where her mom and sister were. "Hello, boys."

Everyone stood there in absolute surprise with Yukiko's mom. She was wearing something... too... showy. They thought that it was natural since she was a model but they couldn't help but back off. And another thing? They thought that Yukiko's mom was the exact opposite of Yukiko.

Atobe, Yukimura and Sanada stepped forward and walked towards her mom, saying their words of gratitude to her for letting them come.

"It's no big deal. I would really love to have a lot of people going," she said cheerfully.

Yanagi stepped in and said, "Greetings to you, Auntie."

"My, my, greetings to you, too, Renji. You've really grown into a fine man. Now, what is it?"

"Mother said that she will come tomorrow, since she still have work," Renji explained.

"Is that so? That Haruhi's so dedicated to her work," she commented.

She turned to the other boys. "Everyone, you will ride this bus to reach our destination," she said, pointing at the large bus beside them. They couldn't help but feel awe at what rich people could do.

Yukiko wondered, "Where's Takeshi and his team? I thought you invited them."

Yoko-san smiled. "They are already there."

Akaya couldn't help but ask, "Takeshi?"

Yukiko turned to him and smiled, "Yeah. Takeshi, my cousin from Seigaku."

Rikkai froze with the mention of Seigaku. Realization dawned into them when they remembered a certain Seigaku player, Momoshiro Takeshi.

Marui exclaimed, "He's your cousin?!" Yukiko nodded. "From mother side, yes."

Jiro realized, "Oh, so that's why you're hanging out with him on weekends."

"I thought he was your boyfriend," Shishido remarked. "Thank goodness he's not."

Yukiko chuckled at what Shishido remarked. "You really thought that?"

Gakuto butted in. "Yes, and he couldn't help but feel jealous."

"I'm not jealous and I didn't feel any ting of jealousy within me!" Shishido defended.

"Why would he be jealous, anyway?" Yukiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

Everyone became dumbstruck at her question. _She's totally oblivious. _Gakuto stared at her with the 'you're-so-dense' look.

Their dumbstruck moment was cut when Yoko-san called them. They went in the bus and sat with the ones they wanted to (e.g. Yui and Yagyuu, Yukiko and Shishido) or with the ones they were forced to. And now, let their travel towards the summer vacation of a lifetime begin!

* * *

***Shizuru is a character from Mai-HiME. She is the Student Council President there and she's a HiME. And by the way, I'm pertaining to Shizuru's Japanese voice there. :D  
**

**I AM BACK, PIPS! So, how is the 8th chapter? Good or bad? Lame or not? Crappy or not? REVIEWS, PLEASE!**

**Also, I want to thank those who finish this chapter without skipping. *bows*  
**

**NEW RECORD! This is now the longest chapter than I've written! Yay! (2, 964 words - credits excluded)  
**

**I know it's a little lame but please review.  
**

**And, I would like to thank the reviewers of Chapter 7: MissMeep and Xxdreamergirl95xX . Love you! 3  
**

**Lastly, Disclaimer. I do not own Prince of Tennis, although there lives the fact that I want to. I only own the OMG-what-the-heck-is-this plot and my OCs.  
**

**That's all. Adieu. :D  
**


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